Hypodermic needles are notorious for spreading blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (“HIV”), the virus that causes Autoimmune Deficiency Syndrome (“AIDS”). Health care workers are among those most at risk for contracting such diseases, as hypodermic needles are commonly used in medical fields. Needle stick injuries may arise during planned use and exposure, and/or as a result of carelessly or maliciously discarded needles.
Of particular concerns are injuries from hollow-bore needles, especially those used for blood collection or intravenous (“IV”) catheter insertion. These devices are likely to contain residual blood and are associated with an increased risk for HIV transmission. Additionally, devices that require manipulation or disassembly after use, such as hollow-bore needles used for IV catheter insertion, have rates of injury over five times that for disposable hypodermic syringes. Such injuries most often occur during or after use and before disposal of the used needle.
IV catheters are traditionally used to infuse fluids, such as saline solution, various medicaments, and/or total parenteral nutrition into a patient. Such catheters may also be used to withdraw blood from a patient, and/or monitor various parameters of the patient's vascular system.
To introduce an IV catheter into a patient, an over-the-needle catheter may be mounted over a hollow-bore introducer needle having a sharp distal tip. The inner surface of the catheter may tightly engage the outer surface of the needle to prevent catheter peel back and facilitate insertion of the catheter into a blood vessel. The tip of the introducer needle may extend beyond the distal tip of the catheter tube to enable insertion of the catheter at a shallow angle through the patient's skin and into a blood vessel.
To verify proper placement of the needle and catheter in the blood vessel, the clinician may confirm the presence of blood “flashback” in a flashback chamber associated with the catheter and needle assembly. Once proper placement is confirmed, the clinician may then apply pressure to the blood vessel to occlude the vessel, thereby minimizing further blood flow through the introducer needle and catheter. The clinician must then withdraw the needle from the catheter to enable continued access to the blood vessel through the catheter. This process of physically manipulating and disassembling the needle and catheter after the catheter has been properly positioned creates substantial risks of accidental needle sticks and exposure to blood and blood-borne pathogens.